Quota in promotions: Madhya Pradesh BJP unit comes under attack

Bhopal: There is widespread resentment and anger even within a large section of the rank and file of the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh over the manner in which a resolution was bulldozed and passed at the State BJP Executive meeting at Rewa in favourr of continuing reservation in promotion for State govedrnment employees.

The Jabalpur High Court recently had struck down a state government rule that institutionalised reservation in promotion for the SC/St employees. The State Government went in appeal and the Supreme Court has granted a stay on the High Court order during the process of hearing in this case.

Only the other day, State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a categorical stand and had announced his Government’s determination to continue reservation in promotion for the SC/ST employees.

The social media is exploding with criticism of the ruling party leaders, and more particularly the Chief Minister for perpetusting the reservation regime. A party senior told Newsroom24x7 that the BJP is rabidly playing the reservation card keeping the next elections in perspective but by playing this kind of arrow and divisive politics the party leaders are forgetting that their vote bank which also comprises of those belonging to the general category is bound to be fractured as a large section of BJP supporters would be alienated on this count.

Latest development

In a related development, the Madhya Pradesh government today constituted a Cabinet Committee to extend the benefit of reservation in promotions to SC and ST government servants. The committee comprises of Forest Minister Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Energy & Public Relations Minister Rajendra Shukla, SC, ST Welfare Minister Gyan Singh and Minister of State for General Administration Lal Singh Arya. Principal Secretary General Administration will be the convener of the committee. The committee will submit a draft of the rules by July 31, 2016.

2 replies

It is really a pity to see all this happen. No country can ever prosper if it choses to ignore its talent pool at the cost of sops like reservation, and to think that this is now being proposed even for promotions, it is all the more shameful. Who will ever try to improve upon oneself if he or she is assured of rewards without doing so!